Pride
by Ggeri Sminth
Summary: Pride, it can brake or save you.


Authors note: Long time no see I would say... Well yes that would it be. Another little squall. I came to it a little bit while I was just thinking why I didn't want to write. To actually think that something about Pride would come about. I am not all that sure if this will ever become more. ^-^ Though I do like were this is going I don't think that It will ever be any more like I said unless some one reviews saying that they want me to write more.

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Pride

A search was sent out to find a one missing Ninja, now it wasn't always this way. They would find them but something set them wrong about this case. One that needed the Fire country needed to find at all costs. And they did find him; they found him living in a cage. But more importantly they found him broken, bleeding from almost every place, clothing torn in many place. It was a horrid looking little mess. In the boys hand was cramped around a tight role of paper, on the paper was a letter written in the boys own blood.

"Is he still alive," whispered a voice in the far off distance.

"He is losing a lot of blood, but if we hurry we can save him."

The boy coughed and struggled to give them the letter. One man reached out to grab it but someone else slapped the boys hand down, "Don't, you can give it to someone once we save you."

The boy coughed, "No read it now."

Another from the back, "We don't have time for this," He turned to the one of the men, "You read the letter, you," He pointed to the girl, "You know what to do."

And so the male ninja read the letter while the female did the healing.

_It was all about my Pride, I can see that now. Everything that happened that day and everything that followed. What I could not see then, was that my Pride got in the way, and that was why it was broken. _

_In some ways Pride is good for you and others, but it can also hurt the ones you love. I never really had that issue. I didn't love them, I didn't care. I protected, that was all that I was good for; to do as I am commanded, to make sure that no one would ever go through what I went through. To make sure that the right child was chosen. That is not love. _

_In all honesty I can see now that there were people that loved me. They would give their lives for me… But alas that didn't save me. Nothing could have saved me but a weaker Pride. I had a friend with a strong Pride, yet a weak one. I looked down upon them all, 'I will not bow' that being said, now I bow because I can no longer stand. _

_I wish that I was more like him; I could have taken to the knee a maybe come out of this whole. Instead I crawl on the ground with my head down, licking the boots of those that oppressed me; those that broke my Pride. I high light Pride so vastly; taking each breath to show you that I have changed. Maybe you will come and save me, would that even be allowed? Or would it be more to the punishment?_

_Someone else comes to mind as I write this, a young girl. She smiled at me a lot. Actually she reminded me a lot of the master of the main houses eldest child. Kind, Gentle, Sweet and something more, but what? Was it her pride? Or something else, whatever is was it drew me to her, but I fear she didn't like me and my pride stood in the way of asking her. I want to change it all for the better but a beaten soul can no longer move. _

_-Neji_

_P.S._

_Being taken from behind against your will will kill your pride and your will to survive._

A few weeks later Neji sat in the hospital bed looking at the wall, wondering what would become of him now. He was no longer of any use to his uncle or his village. He was broke and that was what they had wanted all along. Someone walked into the room; he didn't even look over to see who it was he just kept to his painful thoughts.

"What happened?"

"I didn't bow… It was a lesson well learned I guess."

The voice lightened, "But did it just hurt your Pride?"

Neji stiffened, the voice was sort and fragile but it held anger and pain. He dare not look at it were it come from, it would hurt too much, "Only my Pride."

"You will never have to ask again."


End file.
